Women of Distinction: Chelsea Rice and Julia Licastro

Chelsea Rice, president and co-founder
Julia Licastro, vice president and partner
Hangry Brands

by Jill Sell — Partnership Content | May. 1, 2026 | 1:02 PM

Chelsea Rice

“Hangry Brands is (majority) women-owned and operated, and that’s not really well known,” says Chelsea Rice, president of operations, Hangry Brands.

Rice is responsible for the daily operations of Hangry Brands’ concepts, including 10 deliciously different restaurants, bars and entertainment venues (Geraci’s Slice Shop, STEAK, Society and Danny’s, to name a few).Her resume is a “Who’s Who” of the hospitality industry, but she says that’s all behind her. Training and development have always been her passions, and Rice also uses her new platforms to “correct imbalances in the back and front of the house,” she says.

When Rice was growing up, her mother owned a small restaurant. Rice says if she treats customers like her mother did, “I will have done something right.”

Julia Licastro

After spending much of her professional life in service industries, Julia Licastro embraced what she loves best — the hospitality world, meeting a wide variety of people and being part of “unique conflict resolutions” that change daily.

Joining Hangry Brands in 2023, Licastro now interacts with 300 employees instead of the 35 people she worked with in her former position.

“It’s challenging,” she says. “But my leadership skills include empathy and open mindedness and genuinely caring for my coworkers.”